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Frank Ammirante's five fantasy football bold predictions for Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. Expert predictions for Trevor Lawrence, Ashton Jeanty, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Thomas Jr, and Juwan Johnson.
We're finally here: it's the fantasy football championship. Every lineup decision matters more. This is your time to bring home the trophy.
You may have had to deal with a dud from Jahmyr Gibbs or George Pickens on Christmas Day, so it's time to swing for the fences to find a player who has a spike week, swinging the matchup in your favor. That's where my Week 17 bold predictions are here to help. We're targeting players who are in good spots to hit their ceilings.
My Week 17 bold predictions include Trevor Lawrence, Ashton Jeanty, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Thomas Jr., and Juwan Johnson. Each of these players has a good matchup, putting themselves in a position where they can make a major impact on your fantasy football teams. So, without further ado, let's dive into these picks.
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Trevor Lawrence Finishes as a Top-3 QB
Lawrence is on quite a roll lately. Since Week 12, Lawrence is averaging 27.3 fantasy points per game, which is the overall QB1 during that stretch. It's also 4.8 points per game more than QB2 Matthew Stafford, highlighting just how productive Lawrence has been.
Trevor Lawrence has averaged 8.5 pass yards per attempt with Jakobi Meyers on the field and 6.3 yards per attempt with him off the field this season, per @NextGenStats.
The Jaguars traded 2026 4th and 6th round picks for Meyers after playing LV in Week 9.@Jaguars | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/AFjxlNsY2V
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) December 26, 2025
We saw a huge spike week from Lawrence back in Week 15, when he put up 44.3 fantasy points against the Jets. The encore was arguably even more impressive, as Lawrence racked up 31.2 points against a much tougher defense, the Broncos.
Up next, Lawrence is in a smash spot against the Colts. When these teams met in Week 14, Lawrence completed 17-of-30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. There's a reasonable chance that this time around, it could look even better.
We just saw the Colts get picked apart by Brock Purdy for five touchdowns. Don't be surprised if Lawrence puts up yet another good week in this exploitable matchup. This could be yet another ceiling game that helps you to a fantasy championship.
Ashton Jeanty Finishes as a Top-3 RB
Jeanty has had a disappointing rookie season, especially in fantasy football, where he was an early second-round pick. However, Jeanty put up a huge game when it mattered most last week, racking up 188 total yards and two touchdowns against an elite Texans defense.
This week, the matchup is much easier, as the Raiders are home to the Giants, who rank 31st in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs. With Brock Bowers out for the season, Jeanty becomes even more of a focal point on offense. This could be another game where he puts up 150+ total yards and a pair of scores.
The one concern here is that the Giants vs. Raiders matchup involves two tanking teams. The loser of this game will be set up perfectly to land the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, when you look at these two squads, you see a veteran head coach in Pete Carroll for the Raiders, taking on an interim coach like Mike Kafka on the Giants. If you had to pick which team would be pushing harder for the win, it would be the Raiders for this reason.
With that in mind, you should be quite excited if you have Jeanty in your lineup this week.
Rhamondre Stevenson Finishes as a Top-10 RB
Stevenson has taken a backseat to TreVeyon Henderson down the stretch. However, he's been quite efficient in his last two games, combining for 14 carries for 101 yards against the Ravens and Bills. This week, Stevenson may be forced to carry the load for the Patriots, as Henderson is dealing with a concussion. While Henderson carries a questionable tag into the weekend, he may be given a lighter workload if he clears the league's protocol.
That leaves Stevenson as the lead back in a great spot against the Jets. The Patriots are double-digit favorites in this game, so they're projected to play with the lead, which means more rushing volume for Stevenson.
The Jets rank 30th in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs, so the matchup is there for Stevenson to make a major impact. We've seen the veteran put up 88 yards and a score against the Titans earlier this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see an even better game here.
Even if Henderson plays, there's a chance that he could be a bit more limited than usual, so Stevenson is still viable.
Brian Thomas Jr. Finishes as a Top-15 WR
Thomas is arguably the biggest bust in fantasy football this year. If you drafted him, there's a good chance that you're not playing for a championship this week. However, if you were able to nail your other picks and get here, Thomas may reward you for your patience.
I love the matchup against the Colts, as this is a defense that just got torched by the 49ers in the passing game. The Colts now rank 29th in fantasy points per game allowed to wideouts, so it's a good spot for Thomas.
Brian Thomas Jr. is going to have a nice week in the fantasy championship.
Thomas dominates the Colts:
3 REC, 87 YDS
7 REC, 103 YDS
5 REC, 122 YDS, 1 TDI feel like Parker Washington is a trap.
Washington went off because Pat Surtain locked down Thomas.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) December 23, 2025
On top of that, we've seen Thomas have success against this team throughout his career. In three games, Thomas has racked up at least 80 yards against this defense.
While I know that Thomas had a dud against the Broncos last week, that was due to Pat Surtain II on the perimeter. The Jags' wideout won't have to deal with that this time around, giving him a chance to make a major impact in this matchup.
Juwan Johnson Finishes as a Top-3 TE
Johnson is coming off a huge game against the Jets, where he caught 8-of-9 targets for 89 yards. With rookie quarterback Tyler Shough playing well, Johnson has emerged as a trustworthy option at a thin position.
Up next is a good matchup against a pass-funnel Titans defense, who rank 17th in fantasy points per game allowed to tight ends.
With the Saints continuing to deal with injuries in their backfield, we should see Shough continue to chuck it downfield, which is good news for Johnson.
Considering these circumstances, we could see another big game from Johnson in this spot. If you lost Kittle and need a tight end, it makes sense to fire up Johnson in this favorable matchup.
